We don't know about Earth or Mars sized objects. From the WISE infrared telescope survey, then there is no Saturn sized object out to 10,000 au. Pluto is 39.5 au from the sun.
But that leaves plenty of room for planets larger than Pluto. Indeed Eris is nearly as large as Pluto - and we know of many other dwarf planets out there. When you have a large population like that, and with the vast majority of them surely undiscovered - then seems easily possible there could be dwarf planets larger than any we know yet.
One possibility is that there is a Mars or Earth sized object orbiting somewhere beyond 50 au. This could explain the "Kuiper cliff" where instead of the number of KBOs doubling, as the models predict, it drops off precipitously 13 things that do not make sense
So we could still find new Earth or Mars sized objects out there. Maybe even larger, Neptune sized objects if we look far enough away from Earth. Just, don't expect new Saturns out to 10,000 aus.
But these hypothesized planets would never come in closer than Pluto. If you are thinking about Nibiru, that's just nonsense. Some people who don't know anything about astronomy have taken old news, some of it 23 years old, from astronomy, mixed and matched it and changed figures, e.g. changed 23 million years to 3600 years, made it so that the planets or stars come into the inner solar system - and then added the preposterous claim that a planet or star can hide unnoticed behind the sun for years on end then suddenly jump out and buzz Earth with a few months of notice. No serious astronomer, amateur or professional, gives this any credence at all - it is just Nibiru Nonsense!
"Imaginary Bullshit Planet" Nibiru - Lens Flares, Sun Mirages, Hoaxes & Just Plain Silly
Artist's impression of the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.
It was an all sky survey and in results published in 2014 using data collected in 2010 and 2011, has ruled out the possibility of a Saturn sized object out to 10,000 times the Earth - Sun distance, and a Jupiter size or larger object out to 26,000 times that distance. (I.e. 26,000 AU.)
But that leaves plenty of room for planets larger than Pluto. Indeed Eris is nearly as large as Pluto - and we know of many other dwarf planets out there. When you have a large population like that, and with the vast majority of them surely undiscovered - then seems easily possible there could be dwarf planets larger than any we know yet.
One possibility is that there is a Mars or Earth sized object orbiting somewhere beyond 50 au. This could explain the "Kuiper cliff" where instead of the number of KBOs doubling, as the models predict, it drops off precipitously 13 things that do not make sense
So we could still find new Earth or Mars sized objects out there. Maybe even larger, Neptune sized objects if we look far enough away from Earth. Just, don't expect new Saturns out to 10,000 aus.
But these hypothesized planets would never come in closer than Pluto. If you are thinking about Nibiru, that's just nonsense. Some people who don't know anything about astronomy have taken old news, some of it 23 years old, from astronomy, mixed and matched it and changed figures, e.g. changed 23 million years to 3600 years, made it so that the planets or stars come into the inner solar system - and then added the preposterous claim that a planet or star can hide unnoticed behind the sun for years on end then suddenly jump out and buzz Earth with a few months of notice. No serious astronomer, amateur or professional, gives this any credence at all - it is just Nibiru Nonsense!
"Imaginary Bullshit Planet" Nibiru - Lens Flares, Sun Mirages, Hoaxes & Just Plain Silly
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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